Cat Got Your Tongue?
by Misty Reeyus
Summary: "I'm, uh…, not sure if the whole cat thing really suits you."


"…Estelle, what's with the outfit?"

Yuri only barely manages to get that sentence out without choking, and he desperately tries to ignore the way his gut has been twisting ever since his girlfriend came up to his table to take his order. Estelle said earlier she'd be working the lunch shift at the tavern today, so he'd been expecting her to serve him—but as he stares now at the cat ears perched atop her head and the false tail swinging from behind her skirt, he finds his throat dry and his mind scrambling for words.

"I told you this morning," Estelle chimes, perfectly chipper. "The tavern was short on staff today, so I agreed to help out as a waitress."

"But you already got an outfit from this place last time." That nice yellow-and-orange dress, simple and modest. "Why aren't you wearing that one?"

"I just thought a change might be nice. I told them the outfit Rita got last time was really cute, so they gave me one to try out, too." Estelle reaches behind her to grab the tail and then twirl it in her hand. "What do you think?"

Shit, is Yuri blushing? He thinks he might be blushing. Shifting to hide his face, he faux-casually buries his face in the menu as if it's the most fascinating thing he's ever read. "I'm, uh…," he manages, "not sure if the whole cat thing really suits you."

"Really? Hmm." Estelle looks down at herself and then bends forward, and even though he's only peeking at her over the top of the menu, Yuri can see the curve of her legs become more pronounced. That angle is doing absolutely nothing to help his situation, and to make it even worse, Estelle brings her hands up to her face, curls them like paws, and says, "Mrrow?"

Goddammit. The outfit is one thing, but actually _acting_ like a cat on top of that?

Spirits, save him.

"So how about now?" Estelle asks, cocking her head to the side. Yuri resists the urge to bite his lip. Her voice is level, her lips are pursed with curiosity—all in all, she's the perfect picture of innocence. But he swears there's a slight sparkle to her eye, and now he's not sure whether or not she knows what she's doing to him. "Does it suit me yet?"

"No!" Yuri blurts out, a little too forcefully, then quickly averts his gaze and clears his throat. "I mean, you…you were doing fine before. Geez, Estelle, you really don't have to try so hard—"

"You _like_ this outfit, don't you, Yuri?"

Her tone suddenly morphs into something absolutely _wicked_ , and as Yuri meets her eyes again, he sees that they're now clearly shimmering with impish delight.

Conniving little minx. She knows _exactly_ what she's doing to him.

Well, seeing as Estelle's dropped her pretense of innocence, Yuri promptly drops his pretense of stoicism in turn. "You're _mean_ ," he hisses, slamming the menu shut. "Cut it out already."

"I'mmm not sure I know what you're talking about," Estelle purrs, her syllables purposely drawn out. "Is something wrong, mrrow?"

"Estelle, _please_." God, if she doesn't stop soon, Yuri's seriously going to end up all hot and bothered in the middle of a busy restaurant.

But Estelle's not done, and she leans forward so much that her elbows hit the table and her face is scarcely an inch away from his own. "Yuri, do you remember that one time in Heliord when you told me I wasn't sexy?"

Yes, he remembers, and _holy shit_ , does he regret. Estelle already made him eat his words back then when she seduced that guard, but apparently, she's still not about to let it go.

"I'm sorry," Yuri groans. "I take it back, I was wrong, I was so so very _wrong._ Just _stop it_."

Estelle giggles, but at last she seems to be satisfied, straightening up and smiling apologetically. She takes the novelty headband off her head, and just getting rid of the cat ears already makes it a lot better, makes it so that Yuri can now look her in the eye without his stomach doing a thousand somersaults a second.

"Would you like me to change to the other outfit?"

"Please," Yuri gasps. "I don't want anyone else to look at you like this."

Estelle beams. "Fair enough. They're letting me keep this anyway, so we can feel free to use it whenever we want."

Yuri swallows hard, and as Estelle bends down to kiss his ear and then whisper into it, the burning heat that's been stirring within him flares up all over again.

"I'll wear it for you tonight. You can punish me all you want then."


End file.
